Breezes and Butterflies
by Natsuhiboshi
Summary: Perhaps just this once, it was alright to be foolish. 50 themes Sasu/Saku
1. Chapter 1

**Breezes and Butterflies**

_Perhaps just this once, it was alright to be foolish. _

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The moon hung in the sky like a silver ornament, glowing brilliantly against the black night. The air that blanketed her was warm; evidence that summer was near. She could hear the ocean in the distance, the ever changing tides colliding with the never changing shore, the sound like a lullaby in her distant pass.

And she wondered, vaguely, where he was and what he was doing.

Was he thinking of her? Was the sight of the moon as beautiful in his position as it was in hers? Did he miss her the way she did? Did his heart ache, the way her heart ached; did his hands long to touch her, the way her hands itched to touch him?

A breeze caressed her and it carried with it the laughter of children, the singing of ancient songs, the words of love and loss – all from faraway lands.

And her thoughts turned again. If she spoke to the wind around her, would her words reach him? If the winds brought him her love, would he answer back?

She laughed lightly, chastising herself for her foolishness. She blamed her silly antics on the abrupt change of atmosphere. Her teammate's suggestion of taking a vacation in the Land of Mist was a wonderful idea. How unfortunate that it was poorly planned… how unfortunate, that _he_, the one she wished to share this night with was gone on a mission.

She twirled a lock of her pale pink hair around her finger as her mind wandered again.

A butterfly fluttered by and she watched, awestruck by its elegant beauty. She recognized it almost instantly, a rare Papilionoidea, known for its simplistic splendor. Its white wings blazed under the moon's illumination, making the animal look ethereal, like a magical creature from the fairytales she loved so much.

And it moved on, engaging the gentle wind in a complex tango – one only nature could provide the music for.

She laughed once more and decided that perhaps just this once, it was alright to be foolish.

"_I love you." _

And the wind carried her love with it as it traveled the world, bringing it to a young man who was most eager to return to his loved one.

Her feather soft voice sighed in his ear as the win subsided.

And when the breeze picked up again, his reply flew with it.

"_I love you too."_

* * *

**A/N: Just a drabble. :) But reviews are still appreciated. Haha, thanks. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Musician's Shadow**

_She was a skillful musician, playing with his heartstrings like that._

* * *

He was just a simple observer. A stranger, if you will, hiding in the shadows of her fame. But that was temporary. He didn't have to hide if he didn't want to – he could easily take the spotlight away from her, but that was what was different about the two of them.

When she walked in front of an audience they recognized her for her hard work and determination. When he walked in front of an audience they recognized him for the fame of his family; not for the work he accomplished himself.

She shone under the spotlight while he withered beneath it.

Her long slender fingers created beautiful music that vibrated in the air; the notes pierced the hearts of its listeners, dissipating. Her eyes were shut tight shielding the world from bright orbs of emerald green. The light that enveloped her made her skin glow gorgeous porcelain. Her brows furrowed with concentration as she reached the climax of her performance – her back straight, elbows set – just like he had always taught her.

Just as her piece was about to end, just before the last note died, her eyelids fluttered open revealing the most vivid shade of green.

And she smiled. That heart stopping, stunningly attractive smile. His heart fluttered.

The atmosphere shook with thunderous applause and she stood, the fabric of her iridescent gown shimmering under the attention of the lights. Her hair, the color of the lightest pink roses, fell over her shoulder as she bowed.

She moved across stage with the grace of ballerina and he smirked, amused at how wonderfully _perfect _she looked walking toward him.

Her smile grew as she reached him and his heart twisted, but not in a way that was painful for him. He reached for her violin – still unscathed despite the many years she's had it – his palm brushing against the tips of her fingers. She let him handle her instrument, her gaze never leaving his handsome face.

Then without a word she reached to touch his cheek, a lover's caress. She fingered a lock of his black hair and he could feel the warmth of the light.

"_Sakura-chan!" _

He stepped back, away from her, back into the shadows. He jerked his head to the side, urging her to go – to leave. Her arm was still outstretched, touching nothing but the air around her.

"_Oyasumi nasai, sensei."_

She was a skillful musician, playing with his heartstrings like that.


	3. Chapter 3

**Beauty Secret**

_He couldn't help but wonder what it was that made her so damn gorgeous. _

* * *

She was the apple of every boy's desire when they were in high school and that didn't change in college. There were many appealing things about her – both physically and personality wise. She was kind, too nice even, entertaining anyone that came her way, even someone she didn't quite like. She had an incredible sense of humor with the ability to make you laugh just by laughing herself. Her smile could light up the whole room; her gentle touch could melt a cold heart.

She was truly a stunning creature, absolutely breathtaking.

He couldn't help but wonder what it was that made her so damn gorgeous.

What beauty ritual did she perform? What soap did she use to make her skin glow the way it did? What shampoo did she use for her hair to turn out so silky smooth, so perfectly pink? Did she use conditioner? And her lips… her luscious candy lips. Did she prefer lip-gloss or chapstick?

"_What's your secret?" _he remembered asking her that question years ago, when they had first began dating but all she did was stick out her tongue and playfully reply, "_That's just it though… it's a secret."_

He watched her shamelessly from where he was, in the corner of the classroom, his eyes roaming over her perfect form. His brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he tried his hardest to analyze the woman that captured him from the very first day of high school.

His blatant staring was cut short however when she turned toward him. Their eyes met and he cocked an eyebrow while she simply shot him a questioning look. He leaned back in his chair and shrugged lightly, turning away from her. He was slightly embarrassed to be caught doing something so out of character but he played it cool, resisting the urge to look at her again. He knew she wasn't uncomfortable, it was, after all, natural for a boyfriend to admire his girlfriend, but Uchihas usually didn't do that in public… or get caught doing it.

He would, for now, concentrate on class and not on how attractive she was.

Later that evening as they walked side by side, hands intertwined, bags heavy with medical books, she turned to him and asked for a reason to why he was gazing at her before class. He shrugged, stating it was simply because he wanted to. She stopped walking then, her face twisted into an expression of incredulity, her free hand on her hip.

Did he mention she was incredibly intelligent too?

"_I was trying to figure out what makes you so beautiful."_

She blinked. "_That's it?"_

"_Hn."_

She laughed. _"That's easy! Loving you."_

"_What?" _It was his turn to look at her, shocked.

"_Loving you." _She repeated. _"Loving you is what makes me beautiful."_

Huh, so that was her secret.

A smile danced on his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

**Crazy**

_Kakashi wasn't always sure but today he would be receiving an answer._

* * *

It had shaken the foundations of Konoha when news spread that the Great Uchiha Sasuke was dating the Hokage's apprentice, his former teammate, Haruno Sakura. Young women who hoped to be the Uchiha's chosen one sobbed in their homes, men who longed for a chance with the beautiful medic withered.

Tsunade was pleasantly shocked while Naruto belted out his disbelief.

Everyone was stunned while Kakashi was simply dubious. When Naruto had finally dragged the missing nin back home Sasuke had undergone a series of events – from being questioned, to being placed in house arrest, to even being banned from missions for an entire year. After countless trials before the village elders and Tsunade, Sasuke was finally accepted once again, as a Konoha shinobi.

But his attitude towards Sakura remained the same. He was still aloof around her, ignoring her, speaking to her only when absolutely necessary. And while his attitude did not change, _hers _did. She wasn't affected by his indifference, she didn't stick to him like glue, or bother him all the time like she used to. In fact, she treated Sasuke and Naruto equally. Kakashi had actually witnessed her whack the Sharingan user upside the head once when he was especially cold to a meek fangirl.

It was, truly, a sight to behold.

So when he came home from a mission only to hear that Sasuke and Sakura were dating he simply could not accept it. There had been no sign whatsoever to them being mutually attracted to each other. Well… he did know, deep down, that Sakura still loved Sasuke but he didn't think the young Uchiha would ever answer her feelings.

What Kakashi was afraid of was that Sasuke was simply doing this out of pity. So he made it his personal mission to find out just what his brooding student was thinking. The first week of his mission failed miserably. He couldn't get Sasuke alone – and when he did, his student would never get the hints Kakashi passed. That or Sasuke was just ignoring the subject completely.

Tired of beating around the bush he decided that'd he just go for the direct approach. Kakashi wasn't always sure but today he would be receiving an answer. A _direct _answer.

He planned the situation carefully. He had invited the former Team Seven for a day of training and had set it up so that Sakura and Naruto sparred first while he and Sasuke watched, leaning against the railings of the bridge. Kakashi looked at the young man beside him, planning his move meticulously.

"_You're dating Sakura." _

Sasuke simply _"Hn"-_ed.

"_Sasuke, know that I am only asking this because I care for Sakura. But, do you really love her?"_

And Kakashi watched, fascinated, at the smile that graced Sasuke's face. His usually expressionless eyes sparkled with life as he gazed at the pink haired kunoichi and a look of peace spread across his features.

"_I'm crazy about her, Kakashi."_

Well that was certainly unexpected.

But the doubt faded from Kakashi's mind and was replaced with contentment. Well alright then. That's settled.

"_Good. That's very good."_

"_Kakashi… don't tell her I said that."_

"_Of course not, Sasuke." _Kakashi smiled. _"Of course not."_


	5. Chapter 5

**The Simple Things**

_It was the simple things that made their marriage beautiful._

"_I'm home."_

"_Welcome back!"_

* * *

Everything beautiful in life was simple.

Love, for example, was beautiful. And simple too, it was just the refusal to act with the heart that made it so complicated. He, for one, was a simple man and he enjoyed the simple things. He preferred home cooked meals over fancy restaurants, a simple house instead of a mansion… he loved the modest lifestyle he lived. It was simple.

He was a man of few words and a man of few desires. Everything he could ever want he already had - his wife, his kids, stable job, and good friends… the simple things.

And it was the simple things that made their marriage beautiful.

Like, how in the morning, she'd always have his tea ready. His mug would always be filled to the very brim with her own brew: jasmine green tea. And he would watch, wordlessly, over the top of his newspaper as she bustled around the kitchen and prepared lunch for the kids – a sandwich for Sora and a salad for Daichi.

Then after that she would run upstairs to wake the children while he got their cereal bowls out. He'd fill his eldest son's bowl with Captain Crunch and his youngest son's bowl with Fruity Pebbles and he would leave the milk untouched for they poured it themselves.

His sons would appear, greet him a good morning, and eat their breakfast. She would descend the stairs and chastise her boys for eating so quickly. Then they would rise, grab their backpacks, kiss her cheek goodbye and rush out the door. She would watch them through the open window, with him by her side.

Then they'd clean the dishes together and head off to work separately, never without a kiss goodbye.

But his favorite part of the day was when he got home.

"_I'm home."_

And she'd walk out of the kitchen smelling like flowers and happiness and laugh her tinkling laugh.

"_Welcome back!"_

Sora and Daichi would ask him for help with homework and the house would fill up with the smell of his wife's cooking and he'd smile.

Yes, he loved coming home, because it meant he could enjoy the simple things.


	6. Chapter 6

**When the Time Comes**

_I bought a ticket to the end of the rainbow,_

_Watched the stars crash in the sea,_

_If I could ask God just one question…_

_Why aren't you here with me tonight?_

* * *

He was so very beautiful.

He was the one every boy wanted to be, he was the boy every girl wanted to date.

Uchiha Sasuke was the epitome of male perfection in high school.

And she was his invisible, smart, not pretty enough "side-kick". She had known him for as long as she could remember. Their mothers were inseparable and now, in a sense, they were too. He was the only one who could make her feel like a princess, the only one who could make her smile, and the only one who knew she hated, _hated_, the color pink.

She was his best friend. Always was and always would be.

That would never change.

But she wished it would.

She had watched, with her eyes damp and her heart torn, as he walked away from her with his arm wrapped around another girl's waist. They had plans to go to the park that day but of course, his girlfriend was more important. She had kept silent and forced a smile when he had laughed at the rumors that circulated the school, saying that she and him were a potential couple.

Didn't he get it? Didn't he understand?

She was the one who knew he was afraid of the dark. She was the one who knew he loved tomatoes. She was the one who held him tight when his mother died. She was the one who taught him that it was okay to cry. She was the one who loved him and would always love him.

Yes, it hurt.

It hurt so much.

But she would wait, patiently, with a smile and open arms. She would wait for the day when he would realize that it was her all along, that it had always been her.

When the time comes.

_Someday you'll know_

_That I was the one for you…_


	7. Chapter 7

**Namesake **

_The name rolled off of his wife's tongue and he laughed, his eyes growing damp with happy tears. _

* * *

It was so much harder than people thought it was. There were so many choices, so many pros and cons. He didn't know how Naruto and Hinata did it so easily.

Eight months into his wife's pregnancy and they still hadn't picked a name.

They had spent hours upon hours into the night, mulling over possible choices. He had named their first born, Sora, and his wife had named their second born, Daichi. Now they agreed that they should name the third son together.

But they just couldn't agree on a name.

"_It has to be a strong name. It has to __**mean **__something. Sora is the sky and Daichi is the earth. Our third son should be just as special."_

Sakura sighed, furrowing her eyebrows. Her full, pink lips were pursed and her emerald orbs twinkled in the moonlight. _"Yoshiro. Yoshiro is a good name."_

He flinched. "_Uchiha Yoshiro… I suppose."_

"_You don't like it." _She frowned. He opened his mouth, ready to disagree but paused. He didn't want to lie to his wife. _"I don't feel it." _He admitted. She sighed again. _"Do you have any ideas?"_

He rubbed his chin, squinting at the ceiling. _"Uchiha Mamoru."_

The woman beside him shifted slightly, a thoughtful look passing across her face. _"It does have a ring to it." _She rubbed her belly, hissing slightly. _"But I don't think our son is happy with that. He's kicking a little harder than usual."_

Now it was his turn to frown. For the hundredth time that night, his wife sighed beside him. _"Perhaps we should sleep on it. Maybe better ideas will come to us in the morning."_

"_Hn."_

He was, however, awaken a mere four hours later to his wife screaming in pain. And he knew. Their son was ready to be born into the world. Between cries of agony she was able to smile her winning smile and gasp out, _"Have any better ideas?"_

Eighteen hours later his wife held a little bundle of joy in her arms. Tiny arms waved demandingly in the air and little hands gripped his finger tightly.

Then his wife gasped. _"I have the perfect name for him!" _She was smiling, her eyes glimmering from excitement.

"_Oh? Well let's hear it."_

She held the little baby closer to her chest, her nose tickling their son's forehead. Beautiful black eyes stared back at her. Yes, the name would be fitting.

The name rolled off of his wife's tongue and he laughed, his eyes growing damp with happy tears.

"_Itachi. Uchiha Itachi."_

Now why didn't he think of that?

"_It's perfect."_


	8. Rhythm: Greatest Accomplishment

**A/N: HEY!!! Sorry for such a long wait but here I am and with another part of my series. Okay, I just want to make something clear, this particular theme is going to be about THREE PARTS. I want to break it down into three cause I think it'll make things easier(for me anyway). So this is part one of three for this theme, Rhythm. R&R!**

**

* * *

**

**Rhythm**

_History had a variety of famous love stories. This was theirs._

* * *

She was born into a high-class, strict, time-honored family and she was raised to understand that the art of traditional dancing was the clan's pride. She was a natural at the art, however, and she always pleased the guests and clients. She hardly ever made blunders but that didn't stop her from dancing till she dropped. She had grown up always knowing that'd dance would be her greatest accomplishment – or her greatest failure.

He too, like her, was born into a high-class, strict, time-honored family. However, unlike her, his clan's pride did not come from dancing; rather, it came from producing the music that aided in dancing. His family – mostly the men – consisted of Taiko masters. The art of drumming was his family's specialty and his skill was by far, the best. Yet, that didn't stop him from staying up till late in the night practicing and practicing. He had grownup always knowing that the taiko would be his greatest accomplishment – or his greatest failure.

But for both, that was not the case.

_History had a variety of love stories. This was theirs._

Their greatest accomplishment was in meeting each other.

It had been a somewhat warm winter evening. Fall had just ended and the air was only beginning to chill. They met on his estate in the Eastern garden, beneath the bare blossom tree. She and her family had been invited to a small gathering at the Uchiha Estate. The clan head, Fugaku-sama, was considering a collaboration performance with her family for the New Year festival and he needed dancers - skilled performers who could stun the crowd into silence and bring the best out of the Uchiha Clan's music.

She was one of those dancers, perhaps, the only one.

While her father and mother discussed the topic with Fugaku-sama and his wife, Mikoto-sama, she decided that it'd be acceptable to excuse herself and take a walk in the garden. She simply wanted fresh air. The atmosphere in the room was overbearing – the Harunos and the Uchihas never got along very well before.

She had not expected to hear the beats of a taiko.

She stilled, her ears perked at the sound. It was a string of steady beats which slowly grew into a rhythm and then into a song. It was strong and pleasing to the ear but there was something about it that was missing. Though the song was beautiful as a piece itself, it was not rich – it was hollow. Empty.

Her feet began to move on its own accord as if each beat of the song pulled at the invisible thread of her soul. When she finally reached her destination she was face to face with the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

A stranger was listening to him play. In that instant her felt naked, like some sort of animal placed on the dissection table but he ignore the irritating sensation and continued with his practice. He was frustrated. He knew that to the untrained ear the song was perfection but it did not satisfy him. The piece lacked something and he knew the something that was lacking had to come from him, but he did not know what it was.

He hit the drum with more fervor hoping that perhaps being louder would sound better but he knew, more than anyone, that that was pointless. He ended the song with a particularly loud thump and it echoed all around him, the rhythm vibrating in his body and down to his soul.

He looked up, only to find himself drowning in eyes the color of pools of jade.

He was struck speechless but as soon as it came it went and he opened his mouth to ask her snidely who she was and why she was there. To which she replied, "_Who I am and why I'm here is of no importance, rather, you should try and figure out why you're playing is so off. The song you just performed was missing something._"

He blinked, again shock overwhelmed him then it was replaced completely by anger.

"_And who are you to criticize me?_"

She tilted her head to the side, her jade eyes glimmering.

"_If I'm going to dance to music it had better be the best the Uchiha Clan has to offer, but if this is it, then it truly has served to be a disappointment." _She turned then and walked away and he stood there glaring at her back and seething.

No wonder she was so infuriating.

She was a Haruno.

Yes he was beautiful. But he was also easy to anger and arrogant: a true Uchiha.

She smiled.


	9. Rhythm: Greatest Failure

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Ayake Rin. Thanks so much for your encouragement. You have no idea how much your cheerfulness has helped me through my writer's block. Your reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for being a wonderful friend. :) **

**Rhythm**

_History had a variety of famous love stories. This was theirs._

_

* * *

_

_She had grown up always knowing that dance would be her greatest accomplishment – or her greatest failure._

_He had grownup always knowing that the taiko would be his greatest accomplishment – or his greatest failure._

_**But for both, that was not the case.**_

Their greatest failure was in falling love with each other.

Haruno Sayuri eyed her daughter warily. The meeting with the Uchiha Clan had just ended and her husband, Haruno Hiroshi had reached an agreement with the Uchiha Clan Head, Uchiha Fugaku. Their daughter, Sakura, would dance to the music of Fugaku's son, Sasuke. The piece would be the last dance in the entire show and it would also be the longest. Sakura and Sasuke would create the piece together, without interference from either set of parents.

When Sayuri gently told Sakura of the agreement she had expected Sakura to show signs of great displeasure, but received, shockingly, a completely different reaction.

Sakura had laughed.

That reaction in itself caused Sayuri great worry; she did not want her daughter's scheming to ruin this once in a lifetime chance for a beautiful, unprecedented performance. But deep inside of her, Sayuri found great amusement in the whole thing. She and Mikoto, Fugaku's wife, got along splendidly. They often ran into each other at the market and would go out for tea. Their husband's, however, were another story. Though both men were men of tolerance and patience they were also very competitive in nearly every way which made getting along as two clans incredibly difficult.

It would be hilarious, if Sakura and Sasuke were to fall in love.

But Sayuri brushed off the notion without a second thought, tearing her eyes away from her unusually calm daughter and turning to slip her small hand into her husband's larger one.

What she didn't realize was that a mother's intuition was not one to be _brushed off_.

It was true that she had laughed when her mother informed her of the official agreement but could one really blame her? Sasuke could play, that was true, but his rhythm fell short of hers. She laughed at the idea of dancing to something so amateur, something so unworthy. Though a part of her scolded her; warned her not to jump to such a disgraceful conclusion. So she bit her tongue to keep from laughing again and inwardly prayed that the Uchiha prodigy was just having an off day.

The first thing that he wanted to do was throw an enormous tantrum just to appease his inner child. But he had amazing self-control and kept his eyes on the floor, lips pressed tightly together. He listened as his mother informed him of the agreement made with the Haruno Clan. He clenched his fist and bit his lip when she said he'd be working one-on-one with the Haruno Clan Head's daughter, Sakura. And he nearly pulled his hair out of his head when his mother told him that the intimate one-on-one sessions would begin tomorrow at noon.

He couldn't help himself at that point and let out a groan.

To even further displease him, his mother simply laughed and he could've sworn, _**sworn**_, that his father cracked a smirk.

Noon came much too fast for him the next day and he simply dreaded the arrival of the Haruno heiress. He pounded the drum with forceful strikes, the muscles in his arms aching with the strenuous activity. He had been at it for a good six hours. The sweat of his back caused the fabric of his yukata to cling to his body and he could feel the cloth going undone but he ignored it. Just a few more strikes and his warm-up would be done.

Then he saw it, the flash of pink and red.

He pivoted, brought his right arm up and his left arm down, striking the very center of his taiko with a resounding gong. He was looking right at her now and she was looking back, her face expressionless but her eyes calculating.

He smirked. "_Now you know how skilled I am_." He said confidently, tilting his chin up slightly.

She snorted. "_Hardly. I only know how disgustingly sweaty you can get. Go and change. I'm not going to dance for someone who reeks."_

He felt the sting of a migraine attack the back of his eyes and he growled, "_And I will not play for a snobby little princess_."

Sakura matched his glare with one of her own. "_Then we have a problem, don't we, __**Uchiha-san**_?"

"_What does me being sweaty have to do with your dancing?_"

Sakura did not answer; she merely continued to eye him with distaste.

Disturbed by the look she was giving him (a look that he was not often used to. He was after all, desirable to many other women), he decided to just do as the infuriating _**creature**_ asked – or more demanded, actually. "_Fine. I'll return in a minute_."

He left her alone in the garden and it was only then that she let her guard down, the heat flooding to invade her cheeks. If he remained that way – sweaty, the clothes sticking to him like a second skin, half-naked – then she was sure to forget every single step taught to her since she was a child and she did not need to give the stupid young man an excuse to insult her. Sakura gently fanned herself and exhaled sharply.

Stupid hormones.

He was just about ready to kill himself. And as he drummed out the rhythm that she dipped and twirled to he was thinking of the many ways he could achieve that particular goal. Poison would probably be the most efficient.

His eyes began to drift over to where she was dancing and he bit his tongue to stop himself. Instantly his eyes were once again riveted to the drum and he breathed deeply to gain control.

Yes, poison would do miracles.

For one thing, it would probably stop him from leering at the woman who moved all around him. He had been so annoyed with her attitude before that he had failed to notice her physical attributes. For example, the way she curved in all the right places, the way a few loose strands of her pink hair swayed as she danced, or the way her full, cherry lips would open and close as she took one shuddering breath after another.

Ah her lips… perfect, plump… the color of cherries. Would they taste like them too?

"_Posion_…" Sasuke reminded himself, humming in a mantra like manner. "_Poison…_"

And it was like that every day for ten days.

It began quite simply: Sasuke would play a song and Sakura would merely dance. There was no fluidity between the two of them; the song and dance did not match. It was almost as if it was all coincidental, like they were practicing for separate events and just happened to be in the same room.

Both were suppressing the growing attraction and feelings they had for each other and the denial of the truth led to no progress. That is, until the tenth night.

That night, a dam was broken.

Her desire to be in his arms was granted and he finally realized that the taste of her lips was the poison he craved. The kiss was gentle, passionate, and set their souls on fire.

Finally, a rhythm of their own was born.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry for the disappearance. School started and since it was junior year I pretty much lost any social life I had xD. Anyways, I know that this is DEFINITELY not the third install ment of Rhythm but when inspiration hits, it hits HARD. So forgive me, for the sidestory. :) I hope you like it. It could be better, I know, but I like it raw. R&R!**

Tomorrow Night

_Leaves from the vine  
Falling so slow  
Like fragile tiny shells  
Drifting in the foam..._

* * *

She didn't know when these feelings began.

She only knew that one day she woke up, her heart yearning for him so much that every breath was painful. By the time she noticed these feelings, it was far too late to walk away.

He was beautiful and strong; the epitome of a true hero, a warrior. He was born for greatness.

She would hear nothing but praise about him and when she took her evening walks through the castle grounds he would be in the courtyard training with his men. He was fearless, humble, and compassionate. In his eyes she could see the love he had for this kingdom and the love he had for his people.

And more and more she fell in love with him.

But he was a soldier - his purpose was to serve the royal family and die protecting his kingdom.

And she was a princess - her purpose was to marry a prince from a faraway land and live happily ever after.

The air began to cool as the sun set and the moon rose and she could feel the goose bumps erupt over her bare arms. But even so, she refused to move, her viridian eyes never leaving him. She could hear the voices of her ladies in waiting but she ignored them and soon the calls stopped, for they were familiar with her ways. She would return inside when she wished but for the time being she wished to remain where she was.

* * *

He could sense her. Her scent was in the air – lavender and vanilla – so vivid around him he could practically taste her. His blood burned in his veins, and his attacks against his opponent increased in speed and force.

He steeled his nerves, pushing the need and longing for her out of his body and into the open air, his senses narrowing in on the sound of metal against metal. He kept moving, for if he stopped his thoughts would settle on her again, and that was deadlier than any battle he would ever fight.

But his opponent was weak and the spar was over as soon as it began.

"_Congratulations on your win again, Captain. Thank you for your time. I have learned much in this spar."_

He looked at his subordinate and nodded. "_The honor was mine, soldier._ _Go to the infirmary and have your wounds checked._"

And he was left alone, vulnerable against his greatest enemy: _her_.

* * *

She moved quickly, her footsteps light and her breathing even. When she reached the edge of the courtyard, it was just in time to see his opponent leaving. He was alone now.

She watched him, slowly taking a step from the shadows and into the pale light of the moon.

"_An excellent spar, Captain. Congratulations._"

He turned his head ever so slightly in her direction and spoke, "_Thank you, Hime-sama._"

She moved closer, her steps easy and measured, the edge of her robes sweeping gently across the damp grass, her feet sinking in the dirt. "_You're injured_."

"_It's nothing_."

Her dainty hands, cold against his warm skin brushed against his shoulder where a deep cut resided. The wound was even more hideous in the light of the moon. "_Let me help you_."

* * *

She was too close. Where her scent had been strong before now it was overwhelming and he could feel his resolve and self-control slipping from him like water through cupped hands. Her voice was soft and airy, and she sounded more like she was sighing than talking.

She was such a gentle creature, so delicate and refined.

When her hands touched his skin, he hissed, the cold from her hand a disturbing but welcome sensation. "_Let me help you_." She sighed and he was too afraid of losing himself to protest. He heard a ripping sound and was half pleased and half appalled when he realized she had ripped the edge of her robe to provide a makeshift bandage for him.

Her movements were slow and precise. Her every touch lingered and he groaned quietly. She was tempting him.

* * *

He groaned and she smiled slightly, the corner of her lips tilting upwards. She finished wrapping his wounds and almost instantly he began to move away from her but she stopped him, carefully touching his elbow. "_Does it hurt anywhere else?"_

He didn't turn to face her, but his answer was clear. "_No. It's late. Please Hime-sama, you should go back inside_."

She didn't budge, ignoring his suggestion. She tugged at his elbow and stepped forward so that she was face to face with him, looking into pools of obsidian. "_Sasuke_," she whispered her other hand reaching up to touch his cheek. "_Where else does it hurt?"_

* * *

Fuck it. Fuck self-control. Fuck it all.

His gaze warmed and he leaned into her touch, the heat in his veins returning, the longing and need for the woman before him increasing tenfold.

He wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his body; his left hand tangled itself in her pink locks. "_Kiss me, Sakura_."

She obliged, closing the distance between them. The kiss was tender, filled with affection and adoration. Slowly the passion behind it began to build and he found himself running his tongue over her soft lips, and once again, she obliged.

She whimpered against him and he groaned at the feel of her tongue pushing playfully against his, and his hands moved from her hair and back, running them over her ribcage. Her robe was beginning to loosen and he shuddered at the feel of her supple, trembling body against him.

* * *

She gasped against his mouth and his kisses moved down to her chin, to the shell of her ear, to her neck and collarbone. She moaned and tried to steady herself, one hand gripping his shoulder and the other running through his hair.

Every night.

Every night they met like this and it still wasn't enough.

"_Sasuke_," she whispered. "_Sasuke we must stop_."

He kissed her again, to silence her.

"_No_."

"_Nnngh!_" She gasped as his fingers brushed the underside of her breast.

And then they heard it, the sound of a frantic soldier calling for him. "_Captain! Captain!"_

His grip on her loosened and she stepped back. "_You must go_." She murmured. He looked at her, his expression pained. But the calls grew louder and he knew she was right, he had to go. She reached up to caress his face and he brought his lips to her forehead.

His voice was soft but filled with conviction. "_Until tomorrow night, my love_."

And he was gone.

The sun rose and set and when day settled into night she waited for him in the courtyard but he never came.

Night after night she waited, and night after night he did not come.

It wasn't until the twelfth night that she received news of his death. The only thing left of him was his sword, which she cradled to her chest as she wept.

He had said tomorrow night, but for her, tomorrow never came.

_Little soldier boy  
Come marching home  
Brave soldier boy  
comes marching home..._


	11. Chapter 11

**Blind**

"_You don't necessarily need eyes to see."_

* * *

He didn't remember her, and she wasn't stupid enough to wish that he did.

They had only known each other in childhood, and although those memories were often fond ones, they were also easily forgotten.

But that didn't stop her from loving him.

Even as a child, she had recognized his thirst for adventure and that only grew with time. And when he had been introduced to photography, his thirst morphed into a desperate need. He wanted to go out and taste the world, dip his toes into waters untested, and document it all through the lens of his camera.

She didn't like adventures. She was more of the type to stay and watch content with waiting.

So when the day came that he wanted to swim in the sea that was Tokyo she simply watched, smiled, and waved as he left her behind.

And every day that passed he became more and more famous, his skill behind the lens so powerful he was considered a master of the art. And she was a small town medical student, a faithful subscriber to his photo magazine.

Until that fateful day in December when she was given an internship at Konoha Medical Center. Her internship began the next year, in April where she would begin training under the chief medical director, Tsunade.

And it was in April that she saw him again.

But she supposed she had changed in more ways than one as the years flew by, so it was no surprise that he had simply walked by her without any sort of recognition. It was so painful, and for a moment she wanted to yell at him.

"_Come back! Don't you remember me? It's me! It's me! Turn around! Please look at me again."_

But the words would not come, and again she was stuck, just watching. But he came back to the hospital, day after day after day - always on her floor, always in her unit, but never seeing her.

It was in June that she realized the horrible truth behind the lack of his recognition.

He was going blind.

Slowly but surely, his eyes were deteriorating.

She was heartbroken.

Of all the people, why him? All he had ever wanted was to capture the beauty of the world, capture his thirst for exploration and wonder and share it with the world, share it with the people who were blind to it.

How cruel.

How utterly, utterly, cruel.

So as it was, she made her decision. Standing in Tsunade's office, his medical file held tightly to her chest, the proper forms gripped tight into her hand, she made her decision.

She loved him for a reason. She was brought into his life for a reason. She was a healer for a reason.

"_What can I help you with, Sakura?"_

Viridian eyes gazed back at Tsunade. Beautiful, clear, viridian eyes.

"_Let me give him life."_

* * *

He gazed at himself in the mirror continually trying to get used to what it was he saw.

It was new and disturbing to him but in comfort, he always did love the color green. But this green was different somehow. Darker, very dark in fact, and according to Tsunade it was darker now than it was when it belonged to the donor.

It was black, if you just looked at it once. You'd only notice the green if you looked much closer.

And so, the great photographer Uchiha Sasuke was back in business.

But these eyes were as different as he soon found out. He had seen beauty with his own eyes, but the beauty seen in these ones were so much more _real_. It left him feeling warm and alive. So happy to be alive.

And with this new, brighter, fuller look at life there also came the dreams. All of them were happy dreams, dreams about being young and carefree. He had many dreams like that, but in the end, when he awoke he could only always remember one.

The sakura tree.

There was always this big, tall, sakura tree in the middle of a field surrounded by green grass. The sky was always blue and the air was always warm. His ears were graced with the sound of a young girl's laughter and he would search for her, until her laughter turned to that of a woman's and he would see her on the other side of the field. Short, soft, pink hair swaying in the breeze, her melodic voice calling for him and then—and then—...

He would be awake.

And he knew. He just knew. It had to be these eyes.

"_Uchiha-san, you're back? Are your eyes bothering you?"_

He shook his head. _"Tell me the donor's name."_

Tsunade looked surprised.

"_Please."_

"_Haruno. Haruno Sakura."_

And thus began the journey to find the woman who gave him life.

* * *

He was so glad he found her.

My God, she was so beautiful.

The tree was just where he remembered it to be, not just from his dreams but also from his childhood. He remembered. He couldn't even believe he had forgotten.

She was sitting at the bottom, white dress fanned around her, pink hair swaying in the breeze, a book of poems in Braille in her lap. She was staring straight ahead, looking at nothing but seeing everything.

"_What do you see?" _he asked.

"_Such beauty…" _she answered. _"The sky is clear, and the sakuras are in bloom. The water at the beach a few miles from here is calm, and the field mice are busy scurrying for food."_

"_You see much for a blind woman."_

"_You don't necessarily need eyes to see. Can't you feel it? The way the petals of the sakuras disturb the noontime breeze? Can't you smell it? The salt of the ocean water drifting towards you. Can't you taste it? The sweet tang of sun-kissed grass. Gorgeous." _She smiled.

She stood and she reached out, the tips of her fingers brushing his cheek. _"Who are you, stranger?"_

"_What do you see, when you look at me?"_

She closed her eyes.

"_Fire. No, light. So many different colors, so beautiful. Breathtaking. I see your thirst for adventure, for life, your desire to share with the world that which is not always so obviously seen-…" _she trailed off. _"S-sasuke?"_

He lifted her hand to his face and rested his cheek in her palm.

"_I see a goddess whose smile is as radiant as the sun, whose skin is pale like moonlight, with hair as soft as butterfly wings." _He kissed her wrist.

"_She_ _is_ _a goddess whose eyes are as deep as the ocean but as clear as crystals, whose voice is sweet like the symphony of angels. So beautiful is she that it is a sin for her image to be captured, for one man alone cannot treasure her likeness." _He moved her hand down to his heart.

"_If that's true,"_ she teased, _"then what are you doing here?"_

"_Allow me this sin, Sakura." _

Love, after all, was not blind.


	12. Chapter 12

Rumors

_In which Sasuke realizes things a little too late. _

Ino watches him with weary eyes. He is down the way from her, leaning over another girl, lips hovering dangerously close to her neck.

She sees his mouth move and then he kisses this girl; a kiss filled with sensuality and lust. Ino cringes, bile rising in her throat and her nose wrinkling. And though she finds disgust in this display, she knows that her best friend does not find disgust. Rather, her friend finds pain.

Ino tilts her head to look at Sakura.

Short pink hair waving slightly in the wind, porcelain skin glowing beneath the sun, emerald eyes reflecting the deepest kind of innermost pain. But Ino remains quiet, because she knows Sakura does not want to speak of it.

So Ino tosses her hair over her shoulder nonchalantly and says, "_Let's go to the roof. That's where everyone is waiting. We'll tell them that Sasuke… is busy._"

So the two girls walk away but Ino does not miss the way Sakura hesitates.

The gang is rowdy, the rooftop filled with mindless chatter and playful banter. The boys are wrestling and hooting at each other while the girls sit in a dainty circle with magazines and books, calling each other out on celebrity crushes.

They hear a click and a creak and the door opens and Sasuke struts in, white uniform shirt crumpled, hair in disarray, love bites on his neck.

The boys holler and grin, punching him playfully on the shoulder and asking for details. The girls frown and sigh, shaking their heads at the insensitive caveman display.

Ino glares. She is angry and she knows the other girls are exasperated but she also knows that she cannot stay angry at Sasuke for long. They have all been friends since their diaper days and it is hard to hate someone you know better than yourself. Ino also knows that this is especially true for Sakura.

It is hard to hate a childhood friend, but it is even more difficult to hate a childhood friend with whom you are in love.

Sakura looks up and her eyes linger on Sasuke and when he glances at her Ino sees the way Sakura's eyes light up but Sasuke just looks away. Ino hisses but Sakura says nothing and turns back to her magazine.

It has always been like this.

Tenten nudges Ino with her elbow. Hard. "_There! That's him, the transfer student. Isn't he handsome?_"

So Ino looks and her eyes widen. Indeed, he is very handsome. Ino nods and Tenten giggles and both of them admit that they would be fangirls, if only they didn't have their boyfriends. Ino turns to Sakura and points him out and Sakura shrugs and says, "_Yes, he's handsome._"

But Ino knows that Sakura is thinking that the new student is not as handsome as her 'Sasuke-kun.'

The classroom is hot and the lesson is boring but Ino is not tired because she feels like something important will happen. She sits in her seat, alert and waiting. Then Kurenai-sensei pulls out a class list and begins naming partners for projects and Ino knows. She knows that this is what she's been waiting for.

"_Haruno Sakura and Subaku Gaara_."

Ino silently cheers.

Rumors are flying and Ino hears them and she knows the truth but when people ask she neither confirms nor deny. It was Sakura's business to say, not her.

But Ino is not stupid and she knows it is not that easy. So she is not surprised when Sasuke asks her about these rumors.

"_Rumors can be fake_." She answers, and Sasuke nods and smirks in satisfaction. "_But they can be real too_." Ino finishes.

Sasuke frowns and glares at her but soon the expression fades and he is smirking again. "_You're attempts to intimidate me aren't working. I'm going to go look for Sakura_."

Ino stares at Sasuke and sighs. She calls out after him and he hears what she says but he just keeps walking.

All Ino can do is watch his back.

He is confident that Ino is lying but even so her words haunt him. He does not necessarily have to look for the pink haired girl because he knows where she is; the library is her safe haven. The area is near empty and he begins his search.

He needs to confirm the rumors aren't true. Sakura is in love with him, not the new transfer student.

He hears a noise and he strains his ear and he knows that it is Sakura's voice so he follows it through the bookshelves. He rounds the corner and stops.

Sakura is leaning against the wall, arms wound around Gaara's neck, a blush caressing her cheeks. He is leaning towards her, his gaze warm with affection and her eyes flutter in anticipation.

The kiss is explosive. Sasuke can see Sakura writhe in pleasure, he can see the way she loves this new boy. And it hurts.

He turns away, dejected and knows that he is far too late, Ino's words ringing in his ears.

"_Be careful. Those who search for the truth when it is not their business often come face to face with what they do not want to see."_


End file.
